Falafel (Ground Chickpea Fritters)

Presenting "Falafel"... The famous Mediterranean vegetarian fritters, typically served in a pita bread in the form of a sandwich (open pita pocket or wrapped) but it is equally delicious with hummus and tahini sauce. It is a perfect blend of crushed chickpeas and parsley and/or cilantro with a hint of garlic and some seasoning. So let me get right to the handful of ingredients and the simple process that you'd need to follow and you'll indulge in thus awesomeness - it's a guarantee! I hope you do give this recipe a try and let me know your feedback in the comments section below.. Happy cooking!! 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups Chickpeas (uncooked)
• 1 tbsp Garlic Minced/Crushed
• 1/2 Onion (Medium sized)
• 1/2 cup Parsley (or Cilantro or a combination of both)
• 2 tbsp All Purpose Flour 
• 1 tsp Paprika 
• 2 tsp Ground Cumin  
• Salt & Pepper to taste 
• Oil to fry

Method:

• Soak the chickpeas for at least 12 hours. You'll notice they would've bloated to almost double the size. They, however, would not be as big as the cooked ones e.g. the ones you'd have noticed from the cans. No need to worry about it, as this is expected. 
• Now, drain the chickpeas and lay them flat on a kitchen towel; idea is to remove as much moisture as possible. 
• DO NOT substitute with the canned chickpeas, they will not work and will be nowhere close to the version you've seen in the restaurant. 
• Add the chickpeas, onion, garlic, all purpose flour, parsley (and/or cilantro whichever one you are using), paprika, ground cumin, salt & pepper to a good processor and pulse until you achieve a coarse mixture. Empty the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate covered for at leas an hour. 
• Heat the oil on medium heat. You know the oil is ready when you drop a little bit of the mixture in the oil, and it starts bubbling right away. If you see a lot of smoke coming out of your pan, reduce the heat to low and let the oil cool down. Repeat the precious step to test the oil. 
• When ready to fry, take the mixture out of the refrigerator. While the oil is heating up, make the falafel balls. Dust your hands in flour to begin making the balls; it's easier that way. 
• Fry on medium heat (this will allow the falafel to cook from inside while the outer coting is getting cooked). Turn the falafel upside down if needed. Fry until medium brown in color. 
• Enjoy!! 

Serving Suggestions:

Serve falafel with hummus & tahini sauce or in a pita bread as a sandwich.